When I last wrote this blog (2018!), the world was a different place. People went on about their usual business. Stores were open, people packed concerts, and a simple flu shot was a yearly thing. Now, as you are well-aware, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything. Group interactions are at a minimum. Remote working and sheltering in place are commonplace. Those who have mild to moderate disease are quarantined at home. When anyone coughs, everyone worries.
It is in this context that I am currently stuck at home. The conundrum is, what is a photographer to do when home-bound? One answer is to do still life photography. I could carefully construct some sets, take a multitude of images, and choose which ones to display. Indeed, I have ideas for just that. However, a different sort of challenge called to me. How about photographing the mundane?
Part of the inspiration for this idea is a Spark Creativity paper match set. You draw a match and on it is a creative idea to execute. Mine said, “Randomly choose three words and use them as the basis for your next project.” I knew then that I wanted to use ordinary objects to convey the beauty you can find in your own home.
I have been reading “21 Days to Mindful Photography,” by Alexandria Searls. In it, she gives an exercise where you photograph out of every window in your house. So, I started there:
One of the things I enjoy the most about the house is my potted plant garden on the patio. Right now, the plants are over-wintering in the garage with a plant light. Nevertheless, I can catch the rays of my “sunshine” through the bedroom window.
Think about a place in your home where you find peace and pleasure. That is what my container garden is to me. I nurture these little plants, which I eagerly add to my collection each spring. Funny thing is, I don’t have a green thumb like my parents. It has been learning and growth in progress.
My cat Mary, exploring a space behind the shutter of the kitchen window.
To keep my husband and myself company, we have dear “fur babies.” They have been a source of joy, entertainment and love…even a challenge sometimes (Martha, I’m looking at you). Most of our cats and dog are between 11 and 12 years old. Our new addition is Tilly, a two year old min pin.
Most of these scenes were photographed in the middle of the day using a near-infrared converted camera. Early evening has its own charm. As the sun casts long rays across the landscape, the oblique light peers into the windows and gives objects an eerie glow.
Here, a sweater rests on a jacket on a chair after a long day at work. A sense of solitude comes with the encroaching darkness.
And there, light peaks through the slats of the shutter, catching a glimpse of the world beyond our own protective cocoon.
But what of your other objects and still lifes? you ask. I continued on:
And what about those three words I chose for the project? Actually my husband chose them, to eliminate bias. See if you can guess what they are:
They were “apples,” “spoon,” and “river.” Okay, so I took a lot of liberty with the last one! I wonder what the next match stick will suggest. I haven’t drawn it yet…
What gives you a sense of peace, of pleasure or of solitude? Can you find them surrounding you in your space? What would happen if you found they connected you in some small way to the world around you, in the sense that you could share them with others or meditate in the safety of the familiar or be in the here and now, touching base with reality?
I wish you good health and happiness for the new year!
Namaste
Slice of Life 
This is very beautifully written. As I was reading, the same thought kept surfacing; “thankfulness”. There are so many things we take for granted that are a consistent part of our lives. What would we do if they were not here? How would we cope with the world outside if we were missing the mundane/ordinary things that sometimes scream at us to flee from our houses. The problem resides in balance. As an extrovert working remote, it has been a challenge. This particular blog is a great reminder to be thankful and content with what I have as its absence would create havoc in my world. Thank You for sharing a beautiful post with beautiful photographs giving us insight to your own world.
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